Vehicles of this kind are known in the art, as disclosed, for instance in WO A1 80/01154 (Wibom), and have been used, among other things, in conjunction with road maintenance work for the purpose of facilitating the formation of holes by the sides of the road under maintenance, for the erection of posts intended for road fencing, and the like.
Other examples of known vehicles of this kind are described and illustrated in GB A 1 368 801 and GB A 1 369 081 (both Steiner).
When the auxiliary vehicle control means is in use, the driver of the vehicle positions himself outside the driver's cabin and is able to control the vehicle, i.e., drive and steer the vehicle, from any desired position with the aid of an operations console or panel.
It is not necessary for the driver to return to the driver's cabin in order to move the vehicle through the short distance between two locations along the road where work is to take place.
DE A1 3 200 241 (Niklaus) describes an automatic control device--so-called autopilot--for a water craft or land based vehicle which is provided with a coupling device in the form of a helical spring which produces coupling engagement when the spring is extended as a result of being acted upon at either end. The coupling device is automatically disengaged when the standard control mechanism of the vehicle or watercraft is activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,656 (Walbridge) describes another known arrangement in which the vehicle lacks the provision of an auxiliary vehicle control means.
It has been found that improved auxiliary vehicle control means of the kind described enables the auxiliary vehicle control means to be used over a much wider field, therewith enabling the device to be used advantageously with a large number of different vehicles intended for mutually different purposes.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide auxiliary vehicle control means of the aforedescribed kind which will enable a vehicle to be maneuvered effectively and reliably from the alternative vehicle control site, and also to provide auxiliary vehicle control means which is compatible with the standard vehicle drive-and-control system and which will afford improved safety, for instance when the vehicle is to be driven in a direction which corresponds to its standard reverse-drive direction.